May 4c

CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE:

The rebellion of Absalom, David takes Rabbah

2 Samuel 12

26 ¶  And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27  And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

28  Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

29  And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30  And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31  And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 20

1 ¶  And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

2  And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.

3  And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Psalm 21

1 ¶  « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. » The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2  Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

3  For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

4  He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

5  His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.

6  For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

7 ¶  For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

8  Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

9  Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

10  Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

11  For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

12  Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

13  Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

 

David’s son, Amnon, rapes his sister, Tamar, 1002 B.C.

2 Samuel 13

1 ¶  And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2  And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

3  But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.

4  And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.

5  And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.

6  So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.

7  Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress him meat.

8  So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.

9  And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him.

10  And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

11  And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.

12  And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.

13  And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.

14  Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.

15  Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

16  And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.

17  Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

18  And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

19  And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

20  And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

21 ¶  But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

22  And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Absalom flees, 1001-999 B.C.

2 Samuel 13

23  And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

24  And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.

25  And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.

26  Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?

27  But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

28  Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.

29  And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.

30 ¶  And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.

31  Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

32  And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

33  Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.

34  But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

35  And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.

36  And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.

37  But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

38  So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

39  And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

 

Absalom is persuaded to return, 996 B.C.

2 Samuel 14

1 ¶  Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

2  And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3  And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4  And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

5  And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

6  And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

7  And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

15  Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

16  For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

17  Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.

8  And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

9  And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.

10  And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

11  Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12  Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

13  And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

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